It's All About The Audience, or Should Be

There are many things that are out of your control in theater administration.  You didn't choose the show or the director or the cast.  The reviews, whether deserved or unfair are out of your hands.  But the experience an audience has apart from the show IS controllable. Here are some tips:

• Send reminder emails to advanced ticket buyers.  It can never hurt to remind someone that they have tickets to an upcoming performance.  Some information to include: start time, address of the venue, ticket pickup instructions or e-ticket reminders, parking or transportation information, running time of the event, reference material about the show,  a pdf of the show's program, neighborhood restaurant recommendations.  You could even sell ads to neighborhood businesses in your reminder emails!
• Friendly and helpful staff.  Everyone has a horror story about a bad box office experience.  But in 2013, there is no excuse for a surly box office employee.  I have worked customer service jobs, and believe me I have had my share of rude customers - but anyone working in customer service must be able to either turn those situations around or grin and bear it.  There are innumerable ways your audience can spend their money, be thankful and appreciative that they are in your theater.   Perhaps you need someone to greet and direct your audiences as to where to go?  Maybe you need valet parking?  You know your audiences and your venue - how can you make the experience more pleasant for your customers?
• Open the house early and start on time.  If you ask that your audience be on time, your show should be on time as well.  I can't tell you the number of times I've been in a lobby at the appointed curtain time - not in the theater, in the lobby!  And then you spend another ten minutes in your seat waiting for the house lights to dim.  If you, for some valid reason, have to delay the house opening, or the curtain - keep your audience informed.  Respect your audience's time.
• Allow drinks in the theater.  Do you sell concessions?  Maybe you should, but if you do - allow the audience to bring a drink into the theater.  If you are worried about noise, remember they will only bring in what you sell them, so stock accordingly.  But there is no reason to treat your audiences like children and prevent them from enjoying a drink inside the theater.  Maybe you should even be buying your best customers or donors a drink once in a while.

In a time where everyone is worried about declining audiences, we should be doing everything we can to be thankful for the audiences we have.  I've seen theater staff treat audience members in a way I would feel is unacceptable for prison guards treat inmates.  Think about everything from the perspective of your audience and then think, would I spend $xx for this experience.  While we can't control the whether or not anyone will enjoy the show, we can control their patron experience.

Dynamic Ticket Pricing

For a while, the hot topic in performing arts industry has been dynamic ticket

pricing.  Dynamic pricing is a great way to maximize revenue by adjusting ticket prices based on demand.  But before tossing out your current pricing strategy, there are several things to consider.

Historical Sales Data

First thing your organization should to if you are considering implementing a dynamic pricing strategy is look at your historical sales data.  How far in advance are the majority of your patrons buying tickets?  Do you see buying trends by season or by genre? Do you currently offer early-buying incentives?

Technology

Does your current ticketing system easily support full-price ticket changes?  Are these changes automated or manual?  Are there limitations to full-price ticket adjustments?

Subscriptions & Memberships

How will any dynamic pricing you enact affect your members and/or subscribers?  Do you guarantee your members/subscribers the lowest price?  May dynamic pricing discourage subscriptions or memberships?

Messaging   

It is important that promote your pricing that is accurate and not misleading.  “Tickets starting at XXX” as opposed to listing exact ticket levels that may or may not be available on different days is one way to advertise prices.  It will also be important to coach box office and telephone sales personnel on how to talk about dynamic pricing.

Genres & Other Factors

Historical research may indicate that certain types of shows sell differently than others. There are many variables that may come into play: Casting, Genre, Seasons, etc. Weather may also be a factor that should be taken into consideration when increasing a ticket price (or not).